Threads of Change
by AlwaysPadfoot
Summary: 12 was dying. His regeneration caused by an enemy unknown. 13 was a lot different. The TARDIS is hurtling down through space uncontrollably and the Doctor can't stop it.


**Thread of Change**

**AlwaysPadfoot**

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**AN: **Okay, this is my first DW fanfic so if this is weird, yeah... I hope you guys enjoy anyways.

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The TARDIS was his safe haven. The TARDIS was all he needed to reach before the regeneration process really started.

Stumbling through the woodland, the Doctor used every tree to support him, leaving red sticky handprints everywhere he touched. The forest he'd somehow ended up in was thick with fog and with one hand clutched to his chest, he fell forwards plummeting into a ditch where he lay panting heavily. His eyes rolled to the side and his hearts leapt when they picked out his bright blue box barely visible through the bare and gnarled trees.

Using all his strength, pain coursing through almost every part of him, he managed to heave himself up and make his way towards the TARDIS.

It felt like hours later when he slumped against the box, fumbling for his key and unlocking the door. As he pushed it open, there was a yell and scream behind him. The Doctor felt awful because he couldn't help the source of the scream. He could only hope that whoever, whatever had caused him injury wouldn't get here before he could regenerate. No one would be able to get through the TARDIS' emergency lockdown once the regeneration began.

As soon as that was over he'd be able to figure out what he had to do next to figure out exactly what had caused him to regenerate. Besides, the Doctor had no idea what it was, it wasn't something he'd ever come across in all his hundreds of years and he had to admit that perhaps he was a little scared.

Slamming the door and locking it, the key dropped to the floor with a clatter and the Doctor made his way to the control panel and clung on to keep himself upright.

"C'mon," he growled through gritted teeth, "C'mon."

He urged the regeneration process to hurry up, particularly as another stab of pain shot across his chest. Reluctantly he shrugged off his jacket and pulled open his shirt. The Doctor examined the deep wound in his side and winced in pain as the cool air in the TARDIS hit it. This was going to be a painful regeneration.

Suddenly, something slammed into the wall of the TARDIS and he fell against the controls. The Doctor hissed and turned his attention to the door as an eerie silence encompassed him. He waited in anticipation until finally there was a loud bang from the left of him, making the TARDIS jerk. Then again and again, over and over, the banging getting closer to the unlocked doors of his ship. The Doctor knew all he needed to do was start regenerating so that the TARDIS became impenetrable.

"C'mon, regenerate!" He urged himself just as whatever was outside slammed into the door once more, "Any time now would be fantastic."

His tall figure leant forward over the controls in pain, but he just had to breath and wait for it to happen. Then, finally, he felt it. A sort of tingling overcame him and a burning sensation started spreading through his wound. He yelled out as everything started to glow and the time vortex ripped through him. An unknown force snapped his arms out, his head tilted upwards as the regeneration took him over.

For a long while it felt like he was dying, like someone was reaching inside his chest and trying to rip out one of his hearts. It made sense since all his cells were dying.

Then almost as soon as it started it stopped. The tingling returning in full force like he had just been plunged into ice cold water. Everything was so bright that he couldn't see, but he knew what the metamorphosis of his body felt like and it felt different. The Doctor felt his limbs shorten and his body change as his regeneration fell into its final stage.

There wasn't long left now.

Suddenly it stopped and the Doctor collapsed, his breathing deep as the regeneration completed its cycle. As he opened his eyes, it took a while for them to adjust and focus on the ceiling above him. For a long moment he didn't want to look at himself because he felt weirder than he ever had before. The Doctor lay very still, too nervous to test his own vocal cords and sit up.

He took a breath, "I'm the Doctor."

He sat bolt upright, his head spinning as he looked down on his new body, "No, no, oh my god, what on earth?"

The Doctor got to his feet and rushed down the stairs into his wardrobe looking into the mirror from the doorway. There, staring back him, was a soft faced and freckled woman. She was a she. For the first time, he'd regenerated as a she. When the Doctor had been younger, there had been rumours of regeneration into the opposite sex, but it was so rare. No more greying hair and long face.

She pulled her previous shirt around her, moving closer to the mirror and staring in. As the Doctor studied her new body, she heard a banging above her causing her to quickly button up her shirt and sprint up the stairs towards the main control panel.

"We're out of here," she said as she threw the TARDIS into motion. The banging increased and the doors rattled on their hinges. As her box started to get to work something dug a hole in her doors, but the Doctor didn't have time to have a look because the TARDIS shot up and away from the ground, sailing into the time vortex.

For a moment she stood in silence, letting the TARDIS do its thing when suddenly the ship starting spinning dangerously causing the Doctor to go flying across the floor and into the railings. She gripped onto them as the TARDIS span down and down, hurtling towards some unknown planet. The Doctor fought against the forces effecting the TARDIS to get to the controls where she desperately tried to figure out how to get it back on track. She literally had to hold on for dear life as the she continued to plummet downwards. Nothing she did was stopping the deathly plunge downwards through space.

"Why won't you just work?!" She screamed at the TARDIS, whacking the control panel in frustration. The familiar sound of the ship entering a planets atmosphere screeched around the walls and there was an explosive sound as the doors of the TARDIS blew outwards creating a powerful suction around her.

The Doctor officially couldn't do a thing, even if she wanted to get to the controls she couldn't without hurtling through the now open doors of her ship.

And then it ended.

She was thrown back through the air, cracking her head on the back wall of the TARDIS. All of sudden her vision tilted, blurring completely once more and with one last hissed of pain, she blacked out.

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**I feel like I'm starting school again. Thanks for reading!**

**Ami :) x**


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